Shared Journeys

January 30, 2014Amber 9 Comments

Just over a decade ago, I anxiously toured the university where I would soon begin my graduate studies. That was the day I met Melissa. I remember her enthusiastically answering trivia questions asked by our tour guide and thinking she was far more studious than I. After all, I had no knowledge of these university factoids. Once classes began, I timidly attempted to blend into the group whereas Melissa took ownership of the front row. However, it wasn’t long before a long lasting friendship would emerge. In fact, she quickly had me sitting in the front row with her (to this day, she has me sitting in the front at conferences and work meetings).

Over the years, we’ve shared the joys and struggles of life. We endured graduate coursework followed by a year long internship. We celebrated momentous occasions including weddings, buying homes, becoming puppy parents, and then starting our own families. Melissa was a loyal friend and confident during my years of struggle with infertility and supporter during my difficult pregnancy with quads. On several occasions, I’ve chatted with fellow quad moms about how going through challenges in life help you take notice of who your true friends are. Melissa is among that group of true friends.

Just before I went on bed rest, Melissa hosted a baby shower for me.

While I was on bed rest, Melissa brought me lunch several times and kept me company (I cannot express how lonely bed rest becomes). She also helped me prepare ahead by making freezer meals.

Both of us can attest to the fact that you just never know the plans that God has in store. Shortly after purging the majority of our infant gear, Melissa sent me a message inquiring about our infant car seats. Huh??? I knew she already sold her baby gear the previous spring at a consignment sale (she has two girls, ages six and two). It didn’t take me long to figure out she was expecting TWINS! Undoubtedly, raising two plus twins will be one of the most incredible blessings and challenges for Melissa and her husband. Honestly, there are not better parents for the job, and I cannot express my excitement for them. Melissa is among my go-to girls for baby and parenting related advice and always will be on that list. While she’s a seasoned mother, I am looking forward to sharing the MoM (mother of multiples) experience with her. It seems to be another experience the two of us can muddle through- good times and bad.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of hostessing a shower for Melissa and her twin girls. Despite having now 18 month old quadruplets, I attempted to create a shower with the same attention to detail that Melissa hosted for me. Since Melissa already has two older girls, I thought a diapers and wipes shower was appropriate. I can attest to the fact that multiples go thought both of these commodities rapidly. In their first year, the quads used nearly 10,000 diapers. However, thanks to the generosity of others, we bought only a few that first year. As my gift to Melissa, I constructed a diaper cake that also served as a whimsy centerpiece. Being a novice at diaper cake building, I found a tutorial that did not involve diaper rolling. To spice it up, a bottle of champagne served as the middle of her cake. After the girls arrive (or sleep through the night), Mommy and Daddy can enjoy a celebratory toast. In addition to her cake, I created a DIY baby wipes kit so she can try her hand making baby wipes. We’ve been making our own wipes since the quads were about eight months old, and I now prefer them to commercially made versions. I sincerely believe they’ve helped prevent diaper rash. Plus, they are very inexpensive (we spend $1/ week for the quads). When I was on bed rest, and after our babies were born, I remember really enjoying freezer meals Melissa made so I also whipped up a freezer meal gift bag. One of my favorite go-to meals is crock pot chicken tacos, which I turn into chicken spaghetti on night two.

In true quad mom fashion, I began preparations several weeks in advance. It only took me at least six days to fully assemble the diaper cake, and another week to complete my table scape. I was really pleased with the outcome-

I re purposed a bland picture frame to make a decoration for the table that doubled as a gift for the nursery. It’s a bit difficult to read, but it says, “Sometimes Miracles Come in Pairs”, on the bottom corner I added the girls’ names for a personal touch. I always love gifts with by kid’s names on them.

Since the party was in the afternoon, our menu included light finger foods. I made the same pimento cheese sandwiches we had a the quad’s first birthday party. I was delighted to find a good excuse for making marshmallow pops. Thanks to melted chocolate, I made a total disaster of my kitchen, but I think they looked cute. To balance the sweet and salty flavors, I made a batch of my Great Aunt LaFay’s Oyster Crackers and edamame cranberry blend.

For a little added decor, I made a graphic listing twin trivia and put it in an ornate frame.

I wanted a little party decor in the den since that’s where the guests would congregate. My mom helped me cut scrapbook paper into triangles, and I printed black letters from a Word document that I cut out and glued to the triangles. I used a bit of soft pink tulle, tape, and clothespins to hang them. It still looked a bit plain so I added silver mesh ribbon along the top for sparkle.

When I am hostessing a party, I struggle to find the balance between social butterfly, serving others, keeping everything flowing, and taking pictures. Before the guests arrived, I snapped a few pictures of Melissa and that was it. Even though I spend the majority of my days as master juggler, I simply can’t keep up the pace at parties.

Melissa’s mom, Donna, was able to join us.

Nekedria co-hosted with me.

I am certain that if we could travel back in time ten years, Melissa and I would laugh hysterically at the thought of us having four children each. Certainly, we both wanted children, but we never could have dreamt having large families. Life is certainly a journey, which is enhanced by the people around us and I treasure Melissa’s friendship dearly.

This was our final day of internship. When I found this picture, I noticed a few interesting things. 1. Melissa & I are dressed alike in chocolate brown with khaki (I think the more time you spend with someone, the more things you do the same, and that includes dressing alike). 2. There were three specialist level interns our year (we are in the picture on the bottom with our supervisor) all three of us are now MoMs. Jenny (black shirt) has identical twin girls, I have the quads, and Melissa is now expecting twin girls.

This picture was taken on our final day of internship. When I found this picture, I noticed a few interesting things. 1. Melissa & I are dressed alike in chocolate brown with khaki (I think the more time you spend with someone, the more things you do the same, and that includes dressing alike.) 2. This picture is of the three interns and our supervisor. All three of the interns are now MoMs. Jenny (black shirt) has identical twin girls, I have the quads, and Melissa is now expecting twin girls.

Have you experienced challenges in life that helped you recognize true friendships?

Hugs!

Amber

Toddler Tips #264: What’s that smell???

January 27, 2014August 16, 2015Amber 10 Comments

With each passing day, I find myself trying to solve some new challenge with raising four toddlers, aka “quaddlers”. They are a cunning lot who inspires a little ingenuity on my part (and George’s) just to manage day to day life. While my ideas are born from being surrounded by four toddlers, I think many of them could be helpful to any parents of little ones so I’m sharing.

Unlike most families with babies, we do not have a diaper pail. Instead, we have a custom made “diaper chute”. Long before the quads arrival, George thought a diaper pail would be a hassle with so many diapers used daily. Instead, he created a laundry chute type disposal system that allows us to drop our stinkies right into the garage. Admittedly, I thought it was a silly idea at first. It was PURE GENIUS. George empties the “diaper chute” about every 3-4 days when diapers reach the rim. Up until a few months ago we never smelled it, not even during the triple digit temperatures in July.

A few weeks ago, I kept noticing a horrific stench trailing from the girls nursery. It was a bit mysterious since it was below freezing outside and the “diaper chute” never smelled before. George is an anosmic, meaning he has no sense of smell so he was no help in the matter. However, he pointed out that we had DIY deodorizers in the closet that may have gotten old. At some point during bed rest, my sister and I made them, and I had not refreshed the baking soda and oils since. That meant they were absorbing stench for nearly a year and half! When I refreshed them, the rancid odor disappeared and hasn’t been a problem since. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from these DIY deodorizers. I considered it more of a time passer while on bed rest than anything. From now on, I’ll be sure to do a periodic refresh, and I may stash them in other places such as the garage.

Fill a mason jar halfway with baking soda, then add a few drops of whatever essential oils you prefer. I used lavender and rosemary for this one. Peppermint and lavender is also really nice. Use a butter knife to mix the oils into the baking soda. Cover the jar with a scrap of fabric and seal with the rim of the jar.

If you have a smelly diaper pail, kitty litter box, dog crate, or other stinky area, you may want to make a couple too. For such an unassuming mason jar, this thing packs a punch against tough odors.

Hugs!

Amber

Mama’s Coffee Break

January 23, 2014August 13, 2014Amber 17 Comments

Once the babies became mobile, I attempted “Pack ‘n’ Play” time. It is a Babywise concept that I’ve seen my cousins implement beautifully with their singletons for years. In fact, Jennifer, wrote a fantastic, easy to follow explanation of how to integrate it into a daily routine. With four babies, it became a challenge. At first, I simply added a Pack ‘n’ Play to our morning “rotation”. I put one baby in the Pack ‘n’ Play with novel toys, one in a Jumparoo, one in an Exersaucer, and the fourth enjoyed individual time with me. Every 10-15 minutes, I rotated the babies to a new station so they all got to experience each activity. It wasn’t exactly the same as I’d seen my cousins use Pack ‘n’ Play time, but it worked relatively well. That was, until the quads learned to walk. At that point, when one baby was in the Pack ‘n’ Play the others either whined to join them or the contained one wailed to escape. I then nixed the notion of Pack ‘n’ Play time. After all, the concept was to promote independent play while allowing mom a bit of time to accomplish other things. That was not happening. It became more of stress, and I hated keeping a giant Pack ‘n’ Play set up in our already cramped quarters. About a month ago, I folded up our Pack ‘n’ Play and stuffed into the boys’ closet.

Ideally, Pack ‘n’ Play time would look like this, with each of the quads taking a turn with a puzzle or other interesting toy. I don’t know why I didn’t take “honest” pictures as well. You know, the ones with three screaming babies pressing their noses to the side of the Pack ‘n’ Play or one baby tossing the toys out and wailing. I just didn’t.

As 18 months approached, so did the dreaded morning nap drop. Seriously, as our friends with same age multiples dropped this nap, I clung to it dearly. Morning nap has never been long, but it is “me time”. When the quads go down for morning nap, I make sure to take care of me. It’s when I get dressed, brush my teeth, sip my coffee, catch up on emails, and perhaps tackle a few chores. It does wonders for the rest of our day. I feel better and have far more patience than when morning nap goes awry. The time inevitably flies, but I savor every last second of it.

By 17.5 months, it was apparent that morning nap was headed out the door forever. EEEKS!!! Yet, the babies still seemed to need rest time as much as I needed the quick recharge. Someone would request it saying “night night”, and another would curl up with a blankie on the floor. Rest was still needed. However, if I allowed them to continue with a 45-60 minute morning nap, then our afternoon was horrendous. No one slept in the afternoon and everyone was cantankerous. If we totally skipped morning nap, everyone was cranky and still didn’t nap well in the afternoon (even if afternoon nap was earlier).

Clearly, it was time to evolve. Instead of going cold turkey on dropping morning nap, I instituted Quiet Time, which is my adapted version of Pack ‘n’ Play Time. Rather than darkening the nurseries for nap, I left the windows open and lamps illuminated. I also selected a novel toy (preferably a coveted one) and a few books for each crib, encouraging the quads to explore them. At first, we had Quiet Time at ten sharp when morning nap would normally occur. The quads generally played happily in their cribs for the first 10-15 minutes then drifted off to sleep. It was nice, but still often interfered with afternoon nap. Over a few weeks, I gradually moved Quiet Time back and afternoon nap a bit earlier. We are still transitioning, but instead of dropping morning nap I believe we will integrate Quiet Time into our schedule for a long time. At this point, Quiet Time is only 30 minutes long, and if they fall asleep it’s only a catnap that doesn’t impact the afternoon nap. It is refreshing for all five of us. The quads each get time with a preferred toy that cannot be snatched. Plus, I have just a few moments to enjoy a warm cup of coffee. I expect that as they get older, it will evolve to independent playtime in their rooms or another quiet place. I believe we all need a little peace in our day!

Sydney was so tired, she sprawled out on her side as she continued to play.

To spice things up, I also let the quads chose a different crib. They seem to enjoy the new scenery and crib soothers. Also, since we are in the groove of this new routine, I offer them 2-3 choices as to what toys they want in their crib. It really helps when they feel some ownership over their time.

Quiet time makes everyone happy!

Do you have time to yourself each day? If so, what do you chose to do?

hugs!

Amber

One Thing

January 20, 2014Amber 18 Comments

Last week, I shared my experience being a PTSAHM. While I go to work twice a week, I am at home with the quads most days. Because they are still very young, it is difficult to take them on outings, especially solo. Consequently, we are at home almost every day. And because they are busy toddlers who no longer sleep the day away, I find myself challenged to tackle my never ending to-do list. I am a task master. I thrive on checklists and getting things done. But I’m learning that everything can’t always be done. ~~Some~~ Many things will just go undone and I must learn to accept that. Instead, I settle to triage what’s really important.

However, during my winter break, I often felt defeated upon noticing that I hadn’t accomplished much of what I set out to do. I’d wonder how on earth I spent my time if I hadn’t done anything. Well, it was spent raising quadruplets. Yet, I still felt frustrated; I didn’t feel accomplished.

At our last staff meeting, I recall my boss sharing that he makes his bed every single day no matter what. He does this because he knows regardless of what transpires in the day he did at least one thing. At some point in our marriage, George and I always made our bed, but in time we stopped the habit. I read an article stating that an unmade bed prevents dust mites or something, which is good for reducing allergens. That helped me rationalize why I didn’t make my bed. But, I didn’t feel good about the state of our room. It always appeared disheveled and dirty. At some point during winter break, I started making the bed every morning. And, you know what? A made bed feels fabulous! We may not spend the day admiring it, but each time I pass through my room I see how tidy it appears (ignoring the enormous dust bunnies and mountain of unfolded laundry). When it’s time to turn in for the night, a made bed is actually inviting. It’s as if hotel maids flitted in and straightened it up. It hasn’t taken me long to realize that it’s a worthwhile two-minute investment because I did one thing on my list.

Do you make your bed? Is it worth the two minute investment?

hugs!

Amber

Toddler Tip #457: Shake it up, Baby

January 15, 2014Amber 14 Comments

With each passing day, I find myself trying to solve some new challenge with raising four toddlers, aka “quaddlers”. Sometimes I think we are taking the “crash course” in parenting. They are a cunning lot who inspires a little ingenuity on my part (and George’s) just to manage day to day life. While my ideas are born from being surrounded by four toddlers, I think many of them could be helpful to any parents of little ones so I’m sharing.

Not surprisingly, the quads are rapidly becoming picky, toddler eaters. For the most part they are decent eaters, but lately it’s been a challenge to convince them to eat fresh fruits and veggies. They even shake their heads and say, “no” when they don’t want to try something. Also, I often catch them putting undesirable food on the plates of their siblings as they snatch their favored morsels.

Last week, I excitedly borrowed some frugal meal tips from my friend, Becky. One of her takeaway items was –“Apple saucy Drink”, served in Toss and Take Cups. It seemed to be a great way to get them to eat fruit, while also promoting oral motor skills (something Sydney and Mason need work on). I attempted it with the quads the very next day, and they DEVOURED this drink. The only problem was ~~they~~ the boys pulverized the straws in the process. Hmmm. Maybe not a keeper yet. We shall revisit. The quads have been using silicone straw cups well for several months, but I suspected they would easily clog with applesauce so I had to think of something else.

Bananas, once the favorite fruit at our house are now a no-go. Yet, I wasn’t willing to give up on getting the quads to eat them. After all, bananas are the most inexpensive fruit and easiest to serve and keep. Using the Magic Bullet, I created a banana milkshake that went through their straws seamlessly. It was slurped down by all four in a matter of minutes. I’m not sure anyone bothered to pause for a breath. Upon finishing his drink, Mason let out a gigantic belch. This week, I also tried making shakes with frozen berries, but it didn’t go as well. I think fresh strawberries or mangoes may work so I’ll try them soon.

The Magic Bullet does a fabulous job of making banana milk shakes. Usually, I just blend banana and milk, but I've also added Carnation Instant Breakfast for extra calories on days they don't eat well.

Baby Banana Milk Shake- 1 cup whole milk + 1 banana

I’ve also added a Carnation Instant Breakfast on days when they didn’t eat well, and I wanted to add calories for the day. They really lap those chocolately banana shakes up.

You may notice we use Braum’s milk. That’s because they do not use growth hormone and sell a gallon of milk for about half the price of grocery store organic. George goes to Braum’s to buy 2-3 gallons of milk twice per week, and he’s now a “regular”. When they see him, they bag whole milk and hand him an ice cream cone!

For months, I’ve been also successfully using Becky’s idea of “Sneaky Mac ‘n’ Cheese”. It’s a huge hit at our house. After sampling part of the quad’s lunch, a friend’s daughter even requested it to be served at her house. I’m fully aware that Becky and I aren’t the first to sneak fresh produce into our children’s mouths. In fact, there are several cookbooks based upon the principle. However as quad moms, we are looking for SUPER SIMPLE. What are your favorite sneaky ways to serve fruits and veggies?

Hugs!

Amber

Becoming a PTSAHM

January 11, 2014Amber 22 Comments

Most people are baffled when they realize I am a part time working mom of quadruplets. I have absolutely no doubt that if we had only one baby (or even one baby at a time) that I would be a full time working mother, and it would be perfectly fine. For seven years, I practiced school psychology in an urban school system. Yes, the job was often taxing and usually thankless, but it was part of my identity. I always hoped to be a model of female independence for my children by continuing to practice.

Having quadruplets put a kink in the whole powerful, working mom gig. Even with a post graduate education, working in the public school system is not lucrative. At all. The cost of full time childcare would easily exceed my income, which forced us to consider the options. A few of my colleagues were able to work out part time positions so I approached my then boss about becoming part time as well. At the time, our district and my boss put the kibosh on part time employees because it’s a complex process. Yet, it was the only option for me. Either I transitioned to part time employment or I quit working to be a full time stay at home mom. When I announced our pregnancy news to my boss and proposed working part time, I recall his gobsmacked expression. He joked that I “pulled the quad card.” I guess I did. Perhaps if I was only expecting one baby my proposition would have been quickly and harshly denied. It took several months for my part time position to be approved by the district, but it was just before the quads were delivered. I am forever thankful for it.

Working in the school system affords me school holidays, including a two week winter break. I savor family time, but it is also a reminder why I am a Part Time Stay at Home Mom (PTSAHM). Raising quadruplets is an immense task and being home with them 24/7 can really get to a person. During my two week “break”, I found myself becoming increasingly impatient with both the quads and George. It seemed that they bickered almost constantly. I heard frustrated squeals because I was on the other side of the gate, someone took a toy, someone was pushed, someone had a coveted toy, there were no more snacks…you name it, there was plenty cause for turmoil. After two glorious weeks, we had enough togetherness; I was plenty ready to go back to work. If you’re not convinced that anyone would want to go to work and leave their children, take a look at this-

Breaks from work make the benefits of working part time glaringly obvious to me. I earnestly believe I am better as a wife/ mother AND as an employee from working part time. I get the best of both worlds. I have opportunities to raise my children and witness their growing up years, yet I also keep up with the professional world. Two days per week, I spend time having adult conversations, dressing in something besides yoga pants, and practicing the craft I spent years in school learning.

I also see how I need to miss both home and work so I yearn to return to each of them. When I’ve been at home for days on end, I’m ready to tackle the office. While I am away, the quads benefit too. They are with fresh faces that teach them new things and present new experiences. They learn to obey and respect adults besides their parents as well as new skill such as imitating monkeys or naming colors. Likewise, at the end of a long workday, I can’t wait to see the four little people who will greet me shreiking “Mommy”, sticky fingers, and open mouthed grins. While being a PTSAHM was probably not something I would have done on my own accord, I am so happy I became a PTSAHM.

Sometimes it feels as if our home is filled with bickering and screams, but there are also plenty of sweet, quiet moments to savor.

Watching the babies explore things for the first time is atop my list of favorite times. They received these chalkboard mats from Santa and LOVED them.

Sisters hugging, a messy boy, and a sleeping boy all made my day, and reminded me why I love my days at home.

I absolutely respect mothers who work full time as well as those who stay at home full time. No matter how you approach it, motherhood is an immensely challenging task. However, if you find yourself dissatisfied with your scene (full time working or full time home), you may want to consider the possibilities of part time employment, and you may be surprised at the outcome.

hugs!

Amber

Baby Hauling {Combi Twin Cosmo Stroller Review}

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014Amber 18 Comments

Nearly two years ago, I began reaching out to experienced mothers of multiples regarding baby gear. Among my top questions were, “What kind of stroller do we need?” and “Should we get a quad stroller? OR Two twin strollers?” The resounding answer, “You’ll need several baby haulers before it’s all said and done.”

To my surprise, they were absolutely right. First, we would need two twin stroller frames that our infant seats clipped onto, but those would only last as long as infant seats. And, if I ever wanted to go anywhere solo, a quad stroller was in the cards. The thought of choosing and buying such a variety of strollers was daunting to say the least. Shortly after the quads were born, my friend, Jenny, was kind enough to give us her old Combi Twin Cosmo stroller. Prior to receiving this stroller, I was unfamiliar with Combi and really had no idea what a gem we received. For many months, her stroller waited in attic storage while we relied upon stroller frames. When the quads celebrated their first birthday we decided they were getting too heavy for infant seats. Thus, we purchased toddler car seats, successfully rendering our stroller frames useless.

It was then I discovered the beauty of the Combi Twin Cosmo stroller. Jenny’s stroller was already about five years old and had been well-loved in its hay day, but it cleaned up beautifully. Without much effort (or a user’s manual), I unstrapped the seat covers, tossed them in our washing machine, and then let them air dry. They came out looking like new. I also wiped the rest of the stroller down with a damp cloth to rid it of attic dust. By looking at it, you’d never guess this stroller was five years old. Clearly, Combi made an exceptional product, built to withstand multiples. When an opportunity recently arose to give Combi’s newest model of Twin Cosmo in Bamboo Scribble a test run, I jumped at it. I was already smitten with our older hand me down so I knew it would not disappoint.

Rylin was refusing to nap when our Combi Cosmo Twin arrived so she helped me open it. In order to ship the stroller, the wheels and snack cups are unattached. However, it took me less than a minute to attach everything and clip Rylin into it.

Rylin was refusing to nap when our Combi Cosmo Twin arrived so she helped me open it. In order to ship the stroller, the front wheels and snack cups were unattached. However, it took me less than a minute to attach everything and clip Rylin into it.

Perhaps my favorite feature of the Combi Twin Cosmo is the ease of folding and unfolding. Seriously, this stroller takes mere seconds to both unfold and fold, and it’s never a battle. Once folded, it’s light weight for ease of transport and stores in an upright position. Even I have no trouble carrying or lifting it into the van. I always compare it’s size in storage to a bag of golf clubs. Twin strollers are double the bulk of a single, and I believe that this stroller is about as small as a full sized twin stroller could be. A stroller’s folded size is of the essence to us since we need not one, but TWO twin strollers to fit in the back of our van. The back of our van does not boast much cargo space, yet we can fit two Combo Twin Cosmos with a few other baby essentials back there.

I attempted to take a video clip of the “Three Second Fold”, but it proved more difficult to manage the timer and camera than I anticipated. Nonetheless, here’s a quick demo of how I easily fold, unfold, and carry the stroller-

At 17 months of age, the quads are extremely squirmy and tend to attempt escapes from seats. This is why I’m a huge fan of Combi’s five point, adjustable restraints. They allow us to adjust the straps for each child, making them tight enough to prevent escapees. In order to remember our seating arrangements, we use monogrammed initial buttons as place markers. Obviously, I do not have experience with this, but I suspect this stroller would work well for two children of different ages since the straps are adjustable. I’ve spotted pictures of multiples in our groups as old as about four still riding in Combi strollers. When dealing with multiples it’s commonplace to use strollers as long as your children are still within the weight limits. Otherwise, it’s exponentially more difficult to keep everyone safely together. Therefore, I presume we will be using them for quite a while.

When we are out and about, four high chairs (if any) are not always available so our strollers double as picnic hot spots. The five point straps unclip and convert to three point straps, allowing the quads to sit up better for meals. I typically toss simple finger foods into the snack holders and use sippy cup straps for drinks. Thankfully, the Combi Twin Cosmo strollers basically come apart for easy cleaning because picnics can be messy.

Unfortunately, the babies’ communication skills are rather limited at this time so they cannot share their thoughts on the stroller. However, based upon behavior while in their strollers, I believe they are rather content. They seem to enjoy the side by side layout because they can see what’s in front of them as well as their siblings. I’m certain they’d also agree that the sunshade and snack holders are handy creature comforts.

Even with a side by side layout, the Twin Cosmo fits through all standard doors. Consequently, I am now painfully aware of doorways that are not standard and ADA compliant. I actually filed a complaint at a department store that had ridiculously narrow aisles that NO wheelchair could ever navigate.

While there are nice baskets below the seats, there’s no way a bag stocked for quads would fit in them (or any other stroller basket for that matter). That’s not a problem however, we just use a large carabiner to strap our bags on the back. Voila! I was pleased to find that the new model included not only child cup/ snack holders, but also a parent cup holder. I always overlooked the fact that our old stroller didn’t have one because otherwise it was a fantastic stroller.

In addition to functionality, I appreciate that Combi’s patterns are cheery and gender neutral since we have boys and girls. Considering the age of our hand me down stroller, I’d say the pattern doesn’t give it away, it’s rather timeless as patterns go. If you’ve been following us within the past six months or so, you’ve probably spied our Combi strollers in many pictures, that’s because we take them almost everywhere. And, you may recall when we went to Legoland, our quad buddies also had Combi strollers. We got a chuckle calling that outing a “Combi Con”.

Combi strollers and other products are available for sale from Combi’s Web Store, Babies R Us, and Amazon.

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. I would like to extend an enormous thank you to Combi USA for providing a new Combi Twin Cosmo stroller for the purpose of this review. I was in no other way compensated for the writing of this review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Toddler Tips #51: Stubborn Baby Shoes Solved

January 4, 2014January 13, 2014Amber 10 Comments

Before the quads could walk, I rarely bothered putting shoes on them. I figured that shoes at that age were primarily for admiration. Once they began walking, we did start going out more often, but the weather was warm then. I had no problems whatsoever putting sandals on their tiny feet.

The game changed with cooler weather and different shoes like boots and tennis shoes. My favorite baby shoes are the magenta Converse given to us by my cousin, Jennifer. However, cramming baby feet into them is an all out Olympic sport. I typically unlace them to the first row of eyes and try to cajole their feet inside. It’s absolutely frustrating. I know what you’re probably thinking…don’t put high top shoes on a baby because it’s not practical. BUT- I LOVE these shoes and I like enjoying things gifted to us. I knew there had to be a better way, and joked about getting a baby shoe horn. I didn’t expect they actually existed, but they do! Day after day, I forgot to search Amazon for one (Amazon is almost the sole provider of stuff in our house these days). There isn’t technically a “baby” shoe horn, but I did find a small one and we tried it today. It worked like a charm! It took a little convincing to get it to work, but it was a vast improvement over the other times Rylin wore these shoes. I think I’ll add “small shoe horn” to my list of baby gear suggestions.